Even with lots of work still do be done this list have reached a state
where it must be considered one of the most complete and accurate ever assembled on
the subject. This has only been possible due to the tremendous help from people
all over the world, each of them experts of their local drivers and events.
Short biographies of drivers with BLUE background, will come up in due time.
If you have any information about any driver with GREEN background, please
contact me!

Born at Rossas, Viera do Minho, Sameiro started his career in at the early 30s, and established himself as the best
Portuguese driver of the pre war era by scoring several victories in international races. At the wheel of
a semi-works Alfa Romeo 8C, took the second place in the 1933 Barcelona Grand Prix and
in 1937, he finshed fourth at the Gávea circuit in Brazil, just behind the Auto Union and Ferrari works entries.
To his fans Sameiro became known as "O Rei de Villa Real" ("The King of Villa Real") after five wins
on this well-known racetrack.
After the war he was quite successful racing various sports Ferraris in Portuguese national and international events.
After a serious crash in practice for 1955 sports car Portuguese GP at Oporto that he decided to retire from racing
(see also Casimiro de Oliveira.)
Sameiro died at Braga 2001.
(Info supplied by Mihai Dumitru & Wolfgang Kaese)

Scaron was a very talanted Voiturette and sports car driver, whose career spanning 30 years.
Born at Laeken, Brussels, Scaron enlisted in the French army in 1914 and thus became a French citizen.
He started his racing career in 1922 crashing his Amilcar. He became an agent for Amilcar at Le Havre
and and continued to race the mark for then next 11 years. He won at La Baule in 1927 following it
up with wictories at La Baule, Reims and boulogne in 1928. For 1929 he beacme Amilcar's head driver
dominating the 110cc class in 1929 and 1930 achieving several victories. With the car getting uncompetive
Scaron left Amilcar for the 1934 season and instead raced private Alfa Romeo Monza's and Bugattis in monor events.
In 1938 he became involved with Amédée Gordini, racing Simca Gordini sports cars both before and after the war
finishing third in the 1949 French GP. After Le Mans 1952, Scaron retired from racing and continued as a businessman
in Le Havre. For his achievements he recieved the Legion of Honour in 1954. Died at Neuilly-sur-Seine, Île-de-France 1975.

Lucy O'Reilly was the daughter of an American multi-millionare of Irish origin. As the only child she was used to get anything she wanted. On a trip in Europe after the First World War she met Laury Schell,
a race-crazy American, who had lived in France since his early youth. They got married and settled down in France and their son Harry was born in 1921. (He would become a well-known F1 driver in the 1950s.)
Lucy and Laury soon became familiar names in rally events. With her father paying the bills Lucy demanded and got the best equipment available and in 1934 the name Delahaye started to appear in the results
lists of motor sports events.
But Lucy had greater plans. Delahaye was developing a new car series, the type 135, and Lucy wanted a special racing variant to be built, the 135 Compétition Spéciale or 135 CS. In the end Lucy owned
six 135CS. Drivers included Laurie Schell, René le Bègue, Joseph Paul and later also René Carrière and René Dreyfus. By now Lucy had taken over the multi-million property as her father had died and nothing
could stop her. She asked Delahaye to built a hybrid car for both Grand Prix and sportscar racing, the Delahaye 145. With that Lucy Schell's "Ecurie Bleue" team with René Dreyfus as driver won the 1938 Pau and Cork GPs.
Ecurie Bleue changed to Maseratis. Laury Schell died in an accident in 1939 where Lucy was injured. Lucy took the Maseratis to Indianapolis 1940 where they were to be raced by Dreyfus and Le Bègue.

American, born in Geneva, Switzerland 1895. Patron of the "Ecurie Bleue" semi-works Delahaye team. Married to multi-millioneer Lucy O'Reilly.
Father to Formula 1 driver Harry Schell. Died in a car accident in Paris 1939.

Helmut Schellenberg was birn in Dresden 1911, his father being the owner a steelwire factory .
He started off racing Amilcars in1930 attendig German taces and hill climbs.
Successes included victories at Ostmärkisches Straßendreieck Frankfurt/Oder
Hohensteinbergrennen, Lückendorfrennen at Zittau ad a class victory at Sachsenring 1933.
Eventually in early 1933 he got the money saved to buy a used Bugatti T37A (ex Gilka Botzow).
With that car he was 2nd at Kolberg 1933 and in 1934 he was
4th at Kesselberg 1934 tooka victory at Riesengebirgsrennen Oberscheiberau
and a 3rd at Großer Bergpreis at Freiburg.
He contiued racing as private driver in 1935 with fellow Dresden drivers Willy
Seibel, Emil Rothmann, Hans Lewand and Adolf Brudes.
However with the Bugatti turning uncompetive and unable to buy better equipment Schellenberg decided to quit racing.
After the war he built up a successful wire factory at Sinsheim/Steinsfurt near Heidelberg.
Still being a Bugatti enthusiast he managed to find a T37 and later an T35C (ex-Prince Lobkowitz),
restored them and and took part in historic events. Schellenberg died in 2002.
Both cars are at the Technology Museum in Sinsheim.
(Info supplied by Ralph Reinold)

Florian Schmidt Junior was the son of a textile manufacturer in Jägersdorf, Czechoslovakia but lived in Austria.
He drove under the pseudonym 'Dimsch' during 1928 with a Bugatti T40, a 4-cylinder 1.5-liter sports car with T37
engine. In 1929 he purchased a new 1.1-liter 6-cylinder supercharged Amilcar. He drove primarily at montain
climb events. In 1931 he added a 1.5-liter Bugatti T37A in which he won his class at the Masaryk Circuit,
which was to be his greatest success. From 1932 on he teamed up with Bruno Sojka who had an older Bugatti T37A.
In 1934 the team purchased from the Molsheim factory a 1.5-liter 8-cylinder twin-cam supercharged Bugatti T51A,
formerly owned by Pierre Veyron. Schmidt entered in the Eifelrennen where he placed second behind Castelbarco’s
1.5-liter Maserati but beat Burggaller in another T51A. Due to commitments with his work, Schmidt limited his
driving to very few races but he entered at mountain climbs, like the Ecce Homo Race in 1938.
(Info supplied by Hans Etzrodt)

Born at Weinheim 1908. Victorious in the 1931 Mille Miglia as Rudi Caracciola's riding mechanic.
Mechanic and reserve driver for Auto Union in 1934. Left racing but continued as mechanic for
the Auto Union team where his brother Ludwig worked as chief mechanic, first for Rosemeyer, then for Nuvolari.
Died at Weinheim 1978.

Willi Seibel was a private driver from Diez about 40 km north of Wiesbaden. He raced for
12 years with three different cars, all 1.5-liter Bugattis, in the sports and racing category of many contests.
To all races he was accompanied by his trusted race- and riding mechanic Karl Michel from Diez.
Seibel acquired a T22 Bugatti, which he raced as of 1925 at hill climbs in the
sports car category, winning his class on many occasions. He later replaced it with a 4-cyl supercharged T37A.
That car was destroyed by fire at the 1928 German GP when he had a high speed crash at the Antoniusbuche on lap
lap 7, Seibel receiving serious burns. When he left hospital three months later, Seibel immediately bought a new T37A,
which he kept in race worthy condition until his death. Seibel raced this car as either sports car or
stripped down as racing car. On three occasions he was able to establish best time of the day, beating
larger and stronger cars. Seibel’s greatest result was at the 1931 Eifelrennen where he finished fourth
overall. But eventually his old car was no longer competitive and Seibel decided to retire from racing after 1936.
As graduate of the Düsseldorf and München School of Arts
and Crafts, Seibel continued the 300-year tradition of his family of painters. As a well known restorer Seibel was
trusted with the renovation of the Limburg cathedral in 1936 and 1956 the castle of Oranienstein in Diez.
Seibel helped organize the first postwar races at the Nürburgring, including the 1951 Grand Prix of
Germany where he served as Clerk of the Course. He was honorary member of the Bugatti-Club Deutschland and
received the highest recognition from the ADAC. Seibel died 80 years old.
(Info supplied by Hans Etzrodt)

Francesco Severi raced Alfas for Scuderia Ferrari, then Voiturette Maseratis and in 1938-39 he was reserve driver for Alfa Corse.
(There has been a great confusion about Severi especially in the Anglo Saxon racing literature. However the correct name is definitely
Francesco Severi so disregard all references to any Giulio/Guido/Luigi Severi)
(Thanks to Rudiger de Jonghe for sorting up the name and for Alessandro Silva for confirming). Also thanks to Alessandro Grimaldi.

Born in Biggleswade, Biggleswade 1909.
A very rich collector whose collection included 40 aircraft, cars and racing cars.
Learned to fly 1932, and after flying veteran aircraft he became interested in old racing cars.
Raced a Bugatti T51 in 1934, private Alfa Romeo Tipo B 1935 and 1936.
Retired from racing after a bad accident at the 1936 South African GP.
Joined the RAF and was killed in a night flying accident, Brightwell Baldwin, Oxfordshire in 1940.
His mother opened the Shuttleworth collection and airport for public in 1963.

Siena joined Alfa Romeo as a young apprentice. He worked for the race department and was among other things riding mechanic for Ascari and Campari and later
Nuvolari's mechanic. He became principal test driver for Scuderia Ferrari in 1930. He raced for the team as a junior driver and proved to be a steady and reliable driver.
His greatest cuccess however came in sports car racing; he was the winner of the Spa 24h race in 1932. In 1934 he left Scuderia Ferrari and went on to race
private Maseratis, first an 8C then a 6C-34, under the Scuderia Siena banner, in GPs until 1936.
He then turned to Voiturette racing. After some good performances, including a victory at the 1937 Circuito de Milano, he got
the opportunity to race for Alfa Corse. However, at his first race, the 1938 Tripoli GP he lost control of his Alfa Romeo 312,
trying to avoid Cortese's voiturette. He went off track, hit a sand dune and then crashed into a wall of a house. Siena was
trown out of his car and died instantly.

Started racing sports cars in 1923 with a Fiat. Class winner of the 1927 Eifelrennen and 1928 German GP. Raced private Bugattis together with Paul Pietsch and Hans Lewy as the "PiLeSi Rennteam" in the
early 1930s. Tested for Auto Union in 1934 and 1935 but was not selected. Works driver for BMW 1935. Retired from racing after 1935. Worked for Auto Union in Berlin and later handled car export to Warshaw and
Bukarest. Worked for the Reichluftfartministerium during the war. Died in pneumonia in 1942.

From Leudelange, Luxemburg.
Sinner was a bicycle racer, taking part in the 1928 Olympics at Amsterdam, finishing 40th in 168 km road race (the team finishing 10th out of 15).
His greatest successes came in the Luxembourg - Remich race where he finished 2nd, 1st and 4th in 1926-28.
Turning to motorsports he raced a 2.3L Bugatti in the early 1930s. Results include 2nd at Bupperich & 2nd at the GP de l'AC Luxembourgeois 1932 and
DNF Eifelrennen & 3rd Echternach hillclimb 1933. Also entered the 1933 Spa 24h race in a 3 litre Bugatti with Joseph Zigrand. In 1945
Sinner was executed for collaborating with the Nazis during the war.
(Info supplied by Marc Ceulemans & Graham Clayton)

This Czechoslovakian Voiturette driver was a real Brno specialist being 2nd in the Czech GP
in 1933 and 3rd in 1931, 1932, 1934 and 1935.
From 1932 onwards he teamed up with Florian Schmidt and as when the late 1930s Schmidt limited his
driving to very few races it was Sojka who mostly drove Schmidt’s fast T51A.
1949 Sojka became works driver for Tatra F2. Died after a crash during practice for the the 1951 Ecco-Homo race.

Son of one of France's pioneer airplane manufacturers, Sommer was born at Mouzon, Ardennes in 1906.
He started racing in the early 30s. Because of his
courage and driving style the spectators gave Sommer the nickname "Raymond Coeur de Lion". Sommer never
gave up, always racing flat out even when all hope of a good position was lost. Sommer is surely Grand Prix
racing's greatest individualist, as he refused any major offer for a works drive, preferring to be his own man. Of
course that decision showed up in the results, as Sommer often tried the impossible task to challenge the latest
works cars with antique equipment. Most of Sommer's greatest successes therefore came in sportscar racing.
He was victorious at the French GP in 1936 and won at Le Mans twice in 1932 and 1933. Sommer was also known for his fair play
and good sportsmanship. After the war he did not hesitate to head of the highly unpopular campaign to
release Dr. Porsche from prison. Sommer was racing as good as ever and his sudden death after a freak
accident while racing a 1100cc car in the minor GP de Cadours, came as a shock to the racing world. Shortly before he had been
awarded the Légion d'Honneur as France's greatest driver.

From Loppi (70 km North of Helsinki). Raced a with a blue Chrysler in Northern countries with some success.
Was fourth in the 1935 Estonian GP and fourth in his class in the 1936 Finnish GP. Entered a BMW in the sportscar class
at the 1939 Finnish GP finishing third.

Born in Paris where is registered as "Manuel Bernard Pierre" but still held a Brazil nationality. His father was Brazilian, his mother French. He was cousin to
Brazil Ambassabor in France, Luis Martins de Souza Dantas even if the latter was much older.
Inherted a fortune from his mother. Aeronautical engineer and pilot with his own plane. Was the first Brazilian to run the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1935 with Roger Teillac
in a Bugatti T57. Lost his fortune when the company he had invested in went broke.
Started working at a company that manufactured the engines for all French military aircraft. When the factory was closed by the Germans in 1940
de Souza moved to Brazil. He died in São Paulo in 2005 because of a liver tumor.

Oscar Stahel was the son of Swiss Hermann Stahel, who had done some racing back in 1899 and worked as Sales Manager of the La Cuadra cars in Barcelona, Spain, and
Dolores Cortina from Barcelona, whose brother Jesús Cortina was the manager of the agency that imported Austin cars.
The couple moved to Switzerland, where Oscar was born in Zürich in 1905. Four years later Oscar and her mother returned to Barcelona, where they would live for the rest of their lives,
but Oscar would always remain a Swiss citizen.
In 1925 Oscar Stahel started working at his uncle´s Austin agency, as both a salesman and mechanic. By 1928 he formed the "Peña Austin" of which owners of the cars were members and some
regularity rallyes were organized. Oscar started racing in 1928 with his own Austin 7. From 1931 he started racing Bugattis (not his own).
His uncle had started importing Morris in 1932 and Oscar's last race in 1934 was in a Morris. Oscar would remain associated to Morris the rest of his life
through his own garage in Barcelona after the war.
Oscar Stahel died in Barcelona in 1999.
(Info supplied by Alex Verges & Felix Muelas)

Born in Finchley, Middlesex
Winner of the 1931 2x12h Brooklands with a MG.
Known for the Multi-Union project in 1938.
Chief test pilot for Fairey Aviation, Staniland was killed while test-flying over Sindlesham, Berkshire during the war.

Steinweg began racing in 1921 but soon departed from the racing scene. He then appeared again in 1929 as a
private driver in the old 1.1-liter BNC and 1.5-liter NSU racing cars at mountain climbs. In 1930 he got a
1.1-liter 6-cylinder Amilcar. He won 21 races with this racing car over the next three years, almost all
mountain climbs. Steinweg was one of the fastest drivers in those little cycle cars. In 1933 he sold the
Amilcar to Willi Briem and acquired a 1927 built T35 Bugatti, which used to belong to Karl Kappler, who had
sold it 1930 to Prince von Leiningen. Steinweg began racing this 2-liter car in his favorite mountain
climbs but now also circuit races. In 1935 he got the T51A Bugatti, a 1.5-liter monoposto racing car
and then raced both Bugattis in different classes. At the training for the Guggerberg mountain climb
near Budapest, Hungary, Rudolf Steinweg had a fatal accident. He was 47 years old.
(Info supplied by Hans Etzrodt)

Stoffel from Alcase was French Chrysler agent who began racing in 1923. His greatest success came at Le Mans
and over the years he developed a reputation of a good, reliable long-distance sports car racer. He was seldom
seen at Grand Prix races. Stoffel teamed up with Ivanowski in his Mercedes SSK for the 1931 European Championship.

Straight was born in New York, USA in a very wealthy home. After the father died the mother remarried and the
family moved to England. Later Straight became a British subject.
He had a great interest in flying and motor racing. As a Cambridge student he started racing
in 1932 with an Maserati. In 1933 he had a sucessful year winning at Brooklands and decided to
create his own Grand Prix team. During the 1934 seasom Team Whitney Straight entered their
white and blue painted Maserati 8CM cars in the major GP races, Straight transporting the team members
with his own airplane. He tried to buy an Auto Union for the 1935 season but the negotiations came to nothing
and because he had promised his wife to quit racing he broke up the team.
He joined the RAF during the war, spending some time in a German prison camp after being shot down.
Became managing director of BOAC after the war and served on the board of Rolls Royce. Died in Fulham, London 1979.